The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 55, 1326-1331, Copyright © 1993 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
General thoracic surgery in the year 2010
LP Faber
Department of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612.
Education and clinical practice in general thoracic surgery will be
considerably different in the year 2010. The individual surgeon will most
likely see a decline in patient volume and net income. Teaching hospitals
with declining profit margins will place monetary constraints on patient
programs that do not generate income, and capital budgets will be
curtailed. To remain competitive, the general thoracic surgeon will have to
keep pace with technologic advances and maintain a current knowledge in the
field of thoracic oncology. General thoracic surgical training will profit
by a core curriculum with a defined general thoracic surgical faculty
dedicated to education in this field.